A 70-year-old Bismarck man has been charged with three counts of solicitation of a minor under age 15 for allegedly asking girls walking home from school if he could perform sexual acts on them.

Dalles Spah was charged with the three Class C felonies on Wednesday.

South Central District Judge Bruce Haskellset bond for Spah at $5,000 cash or surety. Haskell prohibited Spah from having contact with the alleged victims or from coming within 100 yards of any school.

Spah remained in custody at the Burleigh County Detention Center as of 4:35 p.m. Wednesday.

Bismarck Police Lt. Randy Ziegler said officers took two separate reports Tuesday afternoon about an older man in a van soliciting young girls. The girls, three 11-year-olds and one 10-year-old, encountered the man in separate instances on the 300 block of East Capitol Avenue and the 200 block of East Interstate Avenue.

The girls gave similar descriptions about the man and both groups said he asked them if he could perform sexual acts on them, Ziegler said. He said one of the girls also reported she had been approached by the same man on Monday, and he asked if she wanted to buy drugs out of his van.

Officers searched the area and found a van driven by a man matching the girls' description, Ziegler said. He said Spah was arrested after an interview with law enforcement.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Julie Lawyer said Spah has no previous criminal history, but she recommended a $5,000 cash bond be set due to the nature of the charges. She said the state has a strong case, including statements in which Spah gave details about what he would have done if the girls had said yes.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com.)